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Shopping for Vintage and Antique Pottery at Estate Sales

Visit Estate Sales

If you enjoy collecting pottery, then visit us at one of our estate sales in the Lakewood, Colorado, region. Finding rare and undamaged pottery is not always easy – items often have cracks or chips due to the fragile nature of pottery. And it’s no wonder pottery is frequently damaged, because it is made of fired clay that is glazed or unglazed and will chip easily. Older or vintage pieces of pottery, especially bowls, plates and containers that were used by people instead of displayed, are most at risk.

Beautiful Pottery Pieces

However, at the very best estate sales, individuals who collect pottery can find pieces that were kept in one home by one family that cared for the items carefully. The most beautiful and decorative pottery pieces are in high demand by collectors who tend to buy the items at auctions. This means one of the best places to find collectible pottery is at estate sales that are held in a local area away from the mainstream, but by a reputable company that has years of expertise dealing in antiques. While other collectors are fighting over Mccoy or Roseville pottery on run-of-the-mill bidding sites, you can visit PrestigeEstateServices.com for an upcoming estate sale near you. We also have several branches around the US and are expanding to ever more locations.

How to Grade Pottery

For collectors just beginning to buy pottery, the process is confusing, especially when looking at the condition of pieces. While everyone wants to find the pristine piece of pottery that was wrapped carefully and never used or displayed, the reality is that most older items will have some type of flaw. Here is how experts grade pottery flaws when selling or making a purchase:

Mint – like new condition but rarely found

Excellent – minor scratches or discolorations

Good – item is not broken but has visible damage

While someone who is not a collector of pottery would think that buying a piece in good condition is not a good idea, this is not necessarily true. There are pieces of pottery made by highly desirable makers that are still valuable despite fading, chips and cracks.

Maker’s Marks

Another thing that collectors need to learn about is maker markings that are usually raised or indented areas of the fired clay located on the bottom or hidden areas of the pottery piece. There are many markings, and some companies or artisans used more than one type. This means that collectors will need to take time understanding and memorizing markings.

Pottery Styles

There are several types of pottery to look for when visiting an estate sale. Some collectors want to find particular colors, shapes or sizes of pottery while others are looking for ones made by certain artisans or manufacturers. Here are a few types of pottery that collectors look for: